1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an advertisement distribution system, and more specifically to an advertisement distribution system that distributes, when record data is distributed from a backup storage that backs up record data in a home storage, an ad (advertisement) together with the record data.
2. Description of Related Art
Gyao (www.gyao.jp) is known as a system for distributing television programs and movies via the Internet to a home personal computer (PC) at low cost. In services provided by Gyao, ads are displayed before and after a television program on a PC through which a user views the program. In this system, the distributed ads cannot be skipped, and instead, the user can watch the television program without charge. This system has a problem in that a television program creator can store data, but a user cannot store personal content and distribute their contents. Also, the system has another problem in that a user need to connect to the Internet every time he/she watches video such as television programs, so the user cannot watch video when traveling.
Of storage devices configured to store content created by users, Windows Home server (http://www.microsoft.com/japan/windows/pr oducts/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx) produced by Microsoft (registered trademark) has been known. This storage device stores files created by a user, closes the files in the storage device and performs backup. However, there have not been techniques for making this storage device available at low cost and storing backed up data at a remote site (see reference 1: “Reviewer's Guide for Windows Home Server,” Microsoft Corporation, September 2007 (http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/4/9/b491dc53-fbbf-4763-9c7d-bc6657776450/WHS_Reviewer_Guide.pdf), and reference 2: “Gyao Media Guide,” Gyao Business, USEN CORPORATION, Oct. 10, 2007 (http://www.gyao.jp/ad/gyao_mediaguide1012.zip)).
Although the above technique can store a user's data, files stored by the user cannot be referred to offline and at low cost.